Cheers!
by Satire
Summary: Draco and Blaise have been close aquaintances since day one. Watch what happens when companionship delves deeper.
1. Cheers

Disclaimer: Characters? Not mine. Anything to do with Harry Potter? Not mine. Dwarf Spirits? Not mine. Plot? MINE! Ahahahahahaha! Seriously, Harry Potter and all related stuff belong to J.K. Rowling and various affiliates. Dwarf Spirits is a drink I BORROWED from the Dragonlance Series which, obviously, I don't own. Glacier rum is mine, I think; at least I made it up.

Warning: This is SLASH. Male/Male relationships...If you don't swing that way, swing on by to that button up there which says, BACK.

A/N: Woohoo! I've done Draco/Blaise slash. Go me, Go me...Y'all have no idea how hard it is for me to write a one-shot fic. But I did it! Now cower before the awesome... (gets hit on the head with a shoe)...Just read, by the way...oww! And if it makes your day, review.

Cheers!

by: Solstice

Chapter 1: Cheers

I just need you absolutely

all the fears in your mind

I just want you absolutely

to sail this ship of mine

"Stately Lover", Lacuna Coil

It all started as all great romances did, with us getting roaring drunk, well mostly me getting drunk. It was the annual Slytherin Christmas bash, our last. We held it a week before Christmas break, to catch the students before they all went home for the holidays. Pansy had the commons done with the usual gaudy decor. Streamers charmed to change colors were hung in a criss-cross fashion about the ceiling, bells with high-pitched chimes littered the room, our armchairs were charmed to shimmer and we even had a bloody Christmas tree beside the fireplace. The fire would also change color, by the way. I was in charge of the refreshments, as always. And I brought in a good stash, if I do say so myself. The ever lovable butterbeer was available, but for the heavier drinkers I brought in the famed Firewhiskey. But of course, I wouldn't be Blaise if I didn't have a little something extra. From my own personal collection I had a keg of dwarf spirits smuggled in. These babies were not as tough on the throat as the Firewhiskey but would get you drunk in a matter of minutes, if you weren't experienced enough. I, for one, could stand 2 mugs of the thing before getting giddy. This drink was only for the brave. So naturally only Draco and I were drinking the stuff. Pansy was too sophisticated to drink anything but wine, she says. And the two doorknobs called Crabbe and Goyle get drunk with butterbeer.

None of the other seventh years wanted to try after Draco told them about the time his father drank a whole bottle in one sitting, passed out and regained consciousness 3 days later. Of course that wasn't true, it was Snape, with half a bottle of Glacier rum mixed with Vodka, and it was 2 days. I never corrected him. Naturally, I didn't want to clean up after these lemmings after taking swigs at the drink. Did I mention that when not properly downed you could end up seeing you breakfast in a pool around your feet, that is if you could still see your feet. Also, the hangovers are murderous, I really don't fancy explaining to the professors why half of the seventh year population were in the Hospital wing asking for headache medicine. Why then do we drink the stuff? Because it's bloody good, that's why. Me and Draco were sitting in a corner near the fireplace drinking, listening to the music playing and generally soaking up the atmosphere.

"What band is this again?" Draco asks.

"What?" I couldn't hear him over the music.

He leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "I said what band is this, you lummox."

I turned to face him, our noses nearly touching, his hot breath ghosting across my face. I put on an amused face and simply said, "Dunno..."

He leaned back into his chair and started sipping his drink. I never really noticed how his lips were perfectly shaped, how his blond hair fell teasingly around his eyes, his eyes reflecting the glow of the fireplace mingled with warm silver. He appeared so calm, so refined. He looked up and caught me staring, he quirked one perfect eyebrow up at me.

"Like what you see?" he said, his tone mocking. I faltered for only a moment before shooting back,

"I was just wondering if your sharp nose could possibly slice an apple" I lied.

He rolled his eyes and motioned with his drink to a couple making out in the corner opposite ours.

I looked and tried to figure out who they were.

"Third years," I spat

"Wanna have some fun?" he pulled out his wand, pointed it towards the couple and muttered a spell. I couldn't recognize it, either because my brain was a little muddled or I wasn't paying attention in class again, most probably both. Not as if the spells Draco uses were taught to normal students anyway. A stream of blue light shot out from his wand and snaked its way toward the unsuspecting third years. The girl's hair, from what I could tell from this distance, was slowly coiling around the boy's head. "3, 2, 1..." a scream erupted from the two and they rushed out of the party as quickly as they could.

"Neat trick," I mumbled, inwardly jealous at his skills as a wizard.

"You're just jealous..." he mumbled back

"Nyeh..." I said uncommitedly. I finished my second glass and it automatically filled up with dwarf spirits. I could hear giggling from somewhere, a sort of flirty female giggling. I turned around and saw a group of girls, who had on very revealing dresses and a tad too much makeup, blatantly staring at Draco. I couldn't blame them; he was a sight to see. He was wearing a black silk blouse, with a couple of buttons open exposing a rather tantalizing amount of skin. His trousers were black too and fit very well with his well toned legs. He had on black boots, probably dragon hide. All in all, an all black ensemble, which contrasted perfectly with his pale complexion and blond hair, which wasn't slicked back anymore, thank heavens. He was, to put simply, god-like. He had a slightly muscular built, owing this to Quidditch, more on definition than in bulk. He was tall too, almost 6 feet. He had aristocratic facial features, not unlike my own, and his general pointiness gave him a more elegant look having filled out a bit.

"Those girls are staring at you again," he suddenly spoke which shook me from my reverie. I was slightly shocked at what he said but hid it well. Not that I was any less gorgeous. I was wearing a red fitted turtleneck sweater which clung to my body quite nicely. I had my favorite leather pants on with black boots to match. I gulped down the whole glass and said," Well, you know me, I'm irresistible." I put my glass down and started to rise.

"Where are you going?" he asked in that drawl of his.

"I'm going to ask one of those fine ladies if they would like to dance," I replied surprised at my response. I made that part up, I was going to go to outside for a smoke, but his voice had that challenge to it, daring me to entertain him. I stood there, waiting for his response, stalling.

"I'm going too, no sense in letting you have all the fun. Besides, I would prefer picking the girl for you, you know you have terrible taste in women," he then stood up and swaggered with that walk of his pass me. He put his drink down, on one of the tables, where it magically disappeared. I shook my head with a smirk on my face, he knew I was gay. There was no hiding it after he caught me snogging that Irish Gryffindor. I did put up the bisexual argument but he saw right through me, he always did.

We met even before Hogwarts, when we were 7 years old. Our parents would leave us together with our nannies while they would go out and party. We never got close, only had that silent bond. I wouldn't really call him my friend, I wouldn't know how friends are supposed to be anyway, I never had one. He was just a constant in my life. Have a prank, call Draco; get detention, tell Draco; get pissed off, punch Draco. We would fight, that was for damn sure. Over the smallest things, we would get sent to the hospital wing. We would play pranks on Pomphrey, then the next day we were all buddy-buddy again. I never had a crush on him though, even with my gayness in full swing. I guess he was like a brother, a sniveling, conniving, bratty brother. No, maybe not a brother, I had one of those, he wasn't like that. More of an owl, yeah a little pet owl. I suddenly found myself laughing hysterically at that mental image. I was doubled over with laughing fits. It was then I heard a polite yet irritated cough. I straightened up and saw Draco with two girls at his side. One was blond with laughing blue eyes and a cunning smile. The other one had red hair, sharp brown eyes and the hottest body in the crowd, if only I were straight.

"Blaise this blond beauty here is Criselda..." at this the blond giggled"...and this delicious specimen is Felis," Draco introduced them with his casual flair staring at me the whole time. It was like he was trying to tell me something with his eyes. Either that or he was trying to burn a hole through my skull. I nodded and offered my arm. Criselda took it and I led her towards the dance floor. A slow song, as if on cue, started. I placed my hands on her waist and she placed hers around my neck.

"Blaise Zabini right? I'm Criselda Nimphas, nice to finally meet you." her voice a little too high for my taste, though she did have a sensual tone, trained no doubt.

"And I, am honored to make you acquaintance." I said, not to be outdone on the pleasantries, I was trained too. I suddenly felt my eyes wondering, looking for another blond in the throng of people.

"He's over by the tree," a voice said.

I looked down at Criselda, confusion etched on my face.

"Don't be so shocked. I'm gay too; I can smell my own kind." Criselda said with a sad note in her voice. She was staring at Felis while she was kissing Draco, all decency forgot. I must have stopped moving, breathing. I stared at the couple and felt something dark and sinister coiling around my abdomen. It could have been the dwarf spirits. I shook it off the started to dance with the girls in my arms.

"I'm sure, I don't have a clue as to what you are pertaining to, my dear." I said softly, putting up my aristocrat walls. I hoped she wouldn't see through them. She laughed a bitter laugh tinged with sadness.

"Master Blaise, I would like to sit this one out, if you don't mind." She looked up at me and put her head to one side. She too, had aristocratic walls, of glass it seemed. I saw it in her eyes.

"No problem, go rest. In the morning get your cat, cuddle and lock her in a cage, I don't like cats roaming around. I'm deathly allergic."

With that we parted, her, back to her friends, me straight to the bar.

Somehow I found myself wandering the halls with a rather large bottle of something in my hand. I was probably drunk; I sort of remember emptying my keg of dwarf spirits. I swayed from side to side navigating rather poorly in the moonlight. The windows hardly gave any. The torches kept flickering off and on, off and on. I swung my bottle at one, missed and fell to the floor with a thud. I was laughing again. Why? I really don't know. Then I felt moisture on my cheeks, that stopped my maniac laughter. I swiped my index finger over it and examined it in the very poor lighting conditions. I started laughing again. This time, I knew why. There was something comic about realizing you're partly human. Ha! More like hardly human. I was rolling on the floor with laughter. The bottle, apparently without its cork spilled its contents on my sleeve. Dammit! I stood up and started walking again, trying unsuccessfully to rid my sleeve of liquid. I trudged forth with a blurry impression of going somewhere. My feet were walking but my brain was left behind at the party, in those silvery eyes, those red lips, all over that redheaded...I vomited on my new shoes. Great, just great. I wiped my mouth on my sleeve, the dry one, and gulped down whatever was inside my bottle. Ahh...Firewhiskey. I probably nicked one from the party. I just remembered mixing drinks made you more susceptible to drunkenness, ha ha drunkenness. I dimly registered the fact that I was humming something, a tune my mum taught me. Hmm...mockingbird don't...hmmmm...diamond ring...lalalalalala...glass.

It seemed like I was walking forever, turning at this corner, going up that stairway, I was practically lost. It was then that I realized I was in a long corridor with no doors on either side. I kept walking, somehow knowing there was a door at the end, that this corridor led to a dead end. I hopped the rest of the way and with my poor balance, I tripped half the time. I got to the end of the corridor and voila! There was a door, probably leading to a room. I pulled on the handle, it wouldn't budge. I put my bottle down and practically attacked the door. Then I remembered...duh. I pushed the door and it opened. I picked up my drink and went inside. It used to be a storage room, I think. There were boxes on one side of the room stacked haphazardly. I closed the door behind me and walked to the window on the far side of the room. It was huge. And I mean really, really big. I opened it and let the winter breeze in. It was more of a winter draft than a winter breeze. Snow started coming in through the open window. I stared out into the night. I had no idea why I wanted the window open. I guess I didn't like the feeling of being cooped up. Plus, if I ever have the urge to commit suicide, hey open window. I headed towards the wall opposite the boxes for obvious reasons. I sat down with my legs crossed and the bottle in between them. I blew at a stray lock of hair that found its was to my face after which taking another swig from my mystery bottle.

I found this room when I was in my third year, or maybe it was my fourth, couldn't recall at the moment. I was coming down from detention with McGonagall, the hag, when the stairway I was on started to move. It was after midnight so I was a bit drowsy; I need my sleep you know. I did the only thing I could, I went up the stairs. I know the Slyhterin dorms are generally in the lower parts of the castle, but hey it was past midnight and I was drowsy. Anyway, the stairs led me to this corridor. I was about to head back when I heard footsteps. Small, feline footsteps. I ran the length of the corridor, and found this room. It was locked and I did the Alohamora thing, which did not work. I took out my knife, yes I had a knife, and pried the door open. I closed it behind me and sat down, with my back pressed firmly against the door. I remember putting my head in my hands, the adrenaline still pumping in my veins. I slowed my breathing down and explored the room. When I found that it was safe, apart from the boxes, I took off my cloak and spread it on the floor. I curled up and slept. I know I could have gotten back to my dorms and lain in my soft bed, but it was after midnight and I was drowsy. All throughout my reminiscing of course, I was drinking the Firewhiskey. I held it up to the light. Damn, its empty.

It was probably past 2 in the morning. I somehow found the mental capacity to charm my bottle into refilling itself. Of course, it would turn into different drinks each time but hey, minor set back. There was a creak and a shadow emerged from the door. I'm hallucinating, I'm hallucinating, I will probably be sent to St. Mungo's, too much alcohol, la la la la la mockingbird...the shadow solidified into a figure, the figure focused into a person. The person turned into Draco Malfoy. He leaned on the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. In retrospect, a very sexy pose.

"I knew I'd find you here," he said as if it was by his will that I was here. I didn't respond, instead I brought the bottle to my lips and tipped it. I didn't even look in his direction.

"You left without telling anyone, I thought you were going to make out with that blond," his tone was snickering, I could feel it. I snorted, another silly joke at the expense of Blaise, har har. He sat down beside me to my left, he had his knees up and he draped his elbows over them. I tilted my head back until it made contact with the wall. I brought up the bottle, ready to drink. He grabbed it and drank.

"Butterbeer? Pathetic."

I grabbed it back, swished it a bit and gave it back to him. He stared at me, with that damn eyebrow up and drank again.

"Vodka, now that's more like it."

Now all this transpired with me saying nothing and staring at a spider's web at a corner. I was surprisingly sobered up, or at least catatonic.

"Apparently, me and that Felis are dating. Can you imagine? She might be a good shag but nothing really long term. I'll stretch it out of course, seduce her a bit, until she's begging me to have her. Ha! Then of course the actual shag, then I'll dump her...or better yet I'll satisfy myself, then dump her. What do you think?" He liked telling me of his sexual rendezvoussusess...encounters with random people. I used to listen with an eager ear, that is before that ear got bored and decided to be licked by an Irish Gryffindor.

He put the bottle down on his left side, away from me. He was looking at me, I could feel his eyes on my face, on my lips. I extended my left hand to him, palm up. I was asking for the bottle. He slapped my hand away.

"Don't you dare ignore me Zabini." There was a tightness to his voice. The spoiled prince always got what he wanted, I almost forgot. I didn't really trust myself to speak at that moment. There was no assurance I was going to say something sensible, or even audible. I just shrugged. I extended my arm again, I really needed a drink.

"You are pathetic, you know that? Is there nothing else in that head of yours but booze? Honestly." He was trying to infuriate me again, trying to lure me into another fight. I lowered my arm and turned my head to look at him. The cold of the room put a flush of color to his cheeks. His eyes were clear and...pretty, for lack of a better word, I was still drunk. His hair, now horribly tangled because of the redhead, was sticking up randomly, some locks fell to his face framing it in a golden halo. Without thinking, I moved closer to him, closer until I could feel his breath on my lips. I licked them, my lips that is, and leaned in. I saw the darkness reflected in his eyes, so much darkness. And with my right hand, made a grab for my bottle. He snatched it away before my fingers even brushed over it, damn seeker reflexes. This of course caused me to lose my balance and fall onto his lap. He snorted and drank from my bottle. I was too embarrassed, or too drunk to get up, so I stayed there, unceremoniously sprawled on his lap. My chest was pressed firmly on his thigh, my forehead touching the cool floor. My right arm was squashed under me while my left was stretched in a way that my elbow was hovering near my ear, it was a balance thing.

"Get up," he commanded.

"No," I said to the floor.

"Come on don't be such a child."

"mmmmmbottle."

"What?" he said while poking me in the ribs. I turned to face him, my right side being the only thing in contact with him. I rested my head on my right hand which was propped up by my right elbow.

"I want my bottle," I said. Yes I was childish but being drunk and desperate gave you little other options. I had my left hand out again, palm facing up, damn I was thirsty. He had that evil glint in his eye again. I inwardly groaned, he was going to do something that would make me want to hit him.

He smashed my bottle against the wall, all the while staring at me. The fragments of glass fell down in sickenly slow motion. The sound from the falling shards hitting the stone floor was deafening to my ears. He threw the neck of the bottle away. It took me a while to register what had happened. Dracosmashedmybottle. Draco smashedmybottle. Draco smashedmy bottle. Draco SMASHED my BOTTLE! That did it; I lunged at him with my full weight. I was a little sluggish, so I wasn't surprised when he caught my wrists. What surprised me was his level of soberness. Sure, he drank a whole continent less than I did, but he still had mixed drinks in his system. His eyes showed nothing of the drunkenness reflected from my own. He was smiling that smirk of his. I was in a rage, I was breathing heavily and I was straddling his legs with my own.

"What is wrong with you?" He was mocking me, he was asking in that mocking tone.

"YOU SMASHED MY BOTTLE, YOU DUMBASS!" I yelled at him. I was later surprised that all the words came out right.

"And you have really bad breath," he stated matter-of-factly. He mumbled something and I felt minty goodness in my mouth. Damn him. I calmed down a bit, losing my drive. I would just have to get another bottle then, easy solution. Now, if he would just let go of my hands.

"Let go of my hands," I wasn't looking at him, rather at his very well manicured nails which were digging into my flesh.

"No," he replied

"No?" I inquired, curiosity coupled with stupidity made a good team.

"No." he said this as if it were the law.

"And pray tell, why not?" I was getting tired, I wanted some alcohol, and I was feeling strangely warm in this almost below zero room.

"Because..." then he kissed me. It was light, almost wasn't there, but it was, I wish it wasn't, but damn it was. He tasted of alcohol, sweet, sweet alcohol. Spices assaulted my sense of smell. He was blasphemously gentle, feathers left more pressure than he did. Time stopped. And not the romantic slowing down of time that made the moment stretch until forever. Time stopped, along with my heartbeat and brain functions. His lips were cold and bitter, yet filled with something I couldn't quite recognize. I surrendered into the kiss ever so gently. I wasn't like I was kissing him back, but I wasn't pushing him away either. He leaned back and let go of my wrists with a smirk planted firmly on those delicious lips. I slowly got off him and sat in my original space. I couldn't think, and it wasn't the drunken fog, but the sober bang. My mind was a blank so I said the dumbest thing I could think of,

"What? No tongue?"

He started to chuckle, then that turned into suppressed giggles and then, outright guffaws. Maybe I was wrong, maybe he was drunk. He wouldn't stop laughing. I stood up, dusted myself off and headed for the window. There was a small pile of snow forming below the window, I wiggled my shoes in it. I leaned my elbows on the window sill, my back to the outside world and waited for Draco to stop laughing. My shadow was cast on the floor; I was blocking our only light source. Draco had his head buried between his knees, his shoulders shaking. Ha ha, very funny, you can shut up now. He was partially hidden in the darkness. Moonlight hardly did anything to cast out the shadows in this room. I could assume that snow was piling up on my shoulders now. My fingers were beginning to feel numb from the cold. Draco was suddenly silent. He looked up at me, or rather past me, out the window.

"Had a good chuckle, did we?" Silences made me want to fill it up with stupid words. He started to rise. Now he was saying nothing and staring into space.

"May I just say, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" I was trying to sound nonchalant, and failed miserablely. I ran a shaking hand through my hair. Draco was walking toward me now. Oh God, oh god, oh god, I really need a drink. He stopped beside me to my right, facing out of the window. He was nothing short of heavenly in the moonlight. His hair caught the moon beams and his eyes sparkled, rivaling the stars. Yes, I was staring at him. He then turned towards me, lifted his arm and dusted off some of the snow from my shoulders. He did this very, very slowly, his hand lingering on my neck. He then proceeded to caress my left cheek. How his hand traveled from point A to B without me noticing, I would never know. Draco was leaning in now; I could feel him shiver from the cold.

"Draco..." I said weakly. He reached over and successfully shut the window behind me. I almost died with relief.

"I never did get you fascination with the cold, Zabini."

"Don't worry, I don't either," I remarked, having absolutely nothing else to say.

He turned fully and mimicked my pose. We were silent for a while. And you know what that means.

"So, how did you find me?" I was really curious. I never told him about this place and it took me two nights of unconscious thought to find it.

"I just followed the smell of booze," he replied, the atmosphere losing some of its tension.

"Very funny, good booze or bad booze?" It was the alcohol talking, I swear.

"I just kissed you..."

"Yeah, I think I was there."

"I just kissed you and all you could think about is booze. Typical."

"Look its not like anything changed, right. I'm still Blaise and you're still Draco. I like booze and you like sex. Just because you may or may not have kissed me doesn't change anything. It could have just been a drunken misunderstanding."

"So, you wouldn't mind if we had wild drunken sex right now as long as it's drunken sex."

"Yes." At this he looked at me and quirked an eyebrow.

"I mean, no. Are you making me think?" I asked, turning to look at him.

"Not more than your brain can handle, I hope," he drawled.

Somehow the feel of the room turned from tense to awkward to friendly in a matter of moments. We were face to face and I wanted the window open again. Heat was radiating off him in waves. He took a step forward, closing the gap between us. I was a little shorter than him.

"Here's to drunken misunderstandings then..." Draco grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me in for a rough kiss. This one kicked the first one's ass. It was passionate and had Draco shoving his tongue down my throat. It took me a moment of hesitation but I decided what the hell, I could always blame alcohol and kissed him back. He was pushing me against the frigid window, which by the way was not very comfortable. His other hand started its journey down where it encircled my waist, pulling my infinitely closer to the hot body that was Draco Malfoy. Both my hands were on either side of me gripping the windowsill and trying to maintain balance, I did not want to fall down god knows how many feet, thank you very much. He started biting my lower lip which made me moan. Damn it, I do not moan. I felt him smile while he assaulted my mouth again. Having no control of the situation whatsoever, I could only close my eyes as he made a trail of wet kisses along my jaw line. He made his way down, when skin turned into cloth at my neck.

"You know," he murmured into my skin, "I've always hated turtleneck sweaters."

He came back up and kissed me again. The hand on my nape was twirling its fingers around my hair. His touches were weakening me. Everywhere he made contact with my body seemed to sing. I could fell my reserve slipping. I have to stop, I have to stop, I have to stop...I tempted fate and let go of the windowsill. My hands traveled up his chest and stopped on his shoulders. I pushed gently, not wanting to offend him.

"Draco, Draco...mhmmm, stop," I said in between kisses.

"I thought...you said...this was...okay," he replied. I pushed him off roughly, breaking the intense connection of our lips. I almost regretted it when the separation left me feeling cold all over. He lost his balance for a bit but then stood tall and proud again.

"Don't be such a tease Zabini, I won't beg." The way he said this and the way he was carrying himself was like he decided to put up more layers of ice between us.

"Look, I don't want to ruin what we had before." My god, my stupidity just rose ten points.

"And what did we have before?" he asked, his voice coming just above a whisper.

"I don't know, some kind of friendship maybe, but the point is after this, what do we have now?" My mouth just won't shut up.

"Nothing." He was heading towards the door.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing more than we had." He just stood there, facing the door, back towards me.

"So, what, you snog me whenever you feel like it then turn around and pretend like nothing happened."

"You said it yourself, nothing changed. I'm still Draco, and you're still Blaise."

"Right, okay," I said returning to the old Blaise, "Just one question."

"Shoot."

"Are you gay?"

He opened the door. He took a step forward. Before leaving, he looked back, almost tossing his hair and said, "Bisexual."


	2. Comfort

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. Period. Except of course, the Plot.

Warning: Contains Slash. Male/male relationships. If you don't swing that way…Bugger off.

A/N: This was supposed to be a one-shot but I decided to add more. And this made a little dilemma…which I will fix. It's a little cheesy at the end but it's totally necessary.

Thanks!

Stjimmysgurl – here's more…I continued partly for you, honey.

:D – There are too few Draco/Blaise fics out there, I had to write one.

Thank you, thank you to my reviewers…See what a little love can do.

Cheers!

By Solstice

Chapter Two: Comfort

I don't know what the hell you're saying

cause you're going blind

using all the lies they told you

to hurt your mind

"Stately Lover", Lacuna Coil

The next day began with the mother of all hangovers. I woke up and quickly regretted that impulse. I felt a throbbing in my head that was going to try to rip it into two separate pieces. My tongue felt at least five times its normal size and made entirely out of sandpaper. I tried to reach over to my wand which was normally on my nightstand, but it wasn't there. Both my wand and nightstand didn't seem to exist anymore. Then I realized, with the speed of a two slugs pushing against each other, that I wasn't in my room. Nor was I in the Slytherin dungeons for that matter. Yup, I was in THE room again, curled up in the middle of the floor. I tried to open my eyes but they didn't like to cooperate. I placed my hands firmly on the floor and hoisted myself into a sitting position. And that was when the world decided to do a cartwheel. I supported myself with my right hand and with my left, pinched the bridge of my nose. When the whirling was over and my urge to throw up subsided, I opened one of my eyes a crack. Sunlight was filtering in through the window, dust particles seemed to dance in the rays. I had both eyes open now and the pounding in my head resumed. Actually, it never left, just got pushed back to the back of my head.

It didn't make sense, why was I here. Then with the speed of those slugs going sideways, I remembered what happened the night before. Damn. Damn. Damn, damn, damn, damn. Draco. Erg. Standing up seemed to be a challenge. My legs were still asleep, I think. I swayed and staggered but finally had both feet following my brain. From what I could tell, it was already noon. I had a hand on the wall, helping me walk. I soon noticed the door was open. I guess I didn't close it then. Opening it wider, I unsteadily walked outside. I needed a shower, new clothes and a spell to get rid of my migraine. I made my wobbly way to the dungeons. A few Slytherins passed by, whispering to themselves. I caught one girl saying, "…all-nighter…party." I had half a mind to glare at the girl, the other half was still in the room. I noticed that all the little Slytherins that were up and about were lower years. First years, Second years, Third years and the occasional Fourth years were looking fairly refreshed and ready for the day or rather, the second half of the day. Thankfully, that day was a Saturday, no classes and no need for excuses. I got to the portrait and said the password, at least I tried to say it. After several attempts at forming coherent words, I finally got the password right. Either that or the portrait felt sorry for me.

I soon figured out why only the lower years were awake. What was inside the common room could only be described as an orgy on pause. People were scattered everywhere. There were students on the floor, on the tables and generally all over each other. Pansy was draped on the arms of a chair, what was draped on her I couldn't quite distinguish. It was either a very pretty man or a manly lady. Everyone was in various states of consciousness. The occasional scream was heard from those waking up cuddled with someone they didn't really know, up until last night. Ah, drunken misunderstandings. The Ugh's and Ohh's were present amidst the harmony of hurls. Ah, the morning after, always a fun affair at the Slytherin House. I picked my way through the throng of people and up to my dorm. All the curtains to all of the beds were closed and a silencing charm was placed on the room. Uh-oh. Then, I got angry. Someone was screwing around on my bed, and it wasn't me. I marched with a steady yet hung-over mission to scare the living daylights out of the couple who were stupid enough to do it on my bed. I pulled back the curtains and got the living daylights scared out of me. What I saw was too ghastly for words, but I'll try. Crabbe…Goyle…Sixth year girl. I almost fainted. I slowly grabbed my wand on my nightstand, closed the curtains, went to my trunk and fished out some clothes then left. When I got out of the room, I sprinted to the prefects' bathroom. There, I vomited for the second time in 24 hours.

After showering and trying to scrub my eyes off of that image on my bed, I did my anti-hangover spell, which I came up with, and headed to the kitchens. I. It was around midday, I love long showers, and I had completely missed breakfast and lunch. Hunger churned around my stomach reprimanding me for waking up so late. There was the portrait of the bowl of fruits in front of which was a certain silver-haired Slytherin. He was wearing his school robes, though it was a Saturday, looking clean and Dracoish again. I stopped, turned around and completely changed direction. Facing him after last night was the last thing in my list of things to do. I hurried along the corridors totally ignoring my stomach's plea for food. It took me about ten minutes debating where I should head out to. Dorm, no; Outside, snowing…Library! He'll never go there. I needed some things for my Charms essay and I did have to do research for my Aencient Spelles class. It was like hitting two hippogriffs with one stick. I entered the Library and basked in its ambiance. The soft light and the warm colors did wonders for my harassed mental state. I walked over to the Charms section, turned the corner and…oomph!

"Mudblood," I greeted the bushy thing that hit me. Her books and miscellaneous items scattered all around her while she herself fell to the floor. I was unfazed and started to brush imaginary dust off my person. That nickname used to get a rouse out of her, now it did nothing but get her attention.

"Zabini," she replied. She picked up her wandering belongings and stood up. She came up to about my shoulder.

"Wild party last night? I saw less than half the Slytherins at lunch and even less during breakfast." She was studying me, looking for whatever she could get to analyze my psychotic well-being or whatever.

"You should know, dear. If I remember correctly, you had Rodgers howling like a werewolf." After stating this maliciously controversial fact the Granger turned into a shade of red that rivaled their house color and walked away, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh, and say hello to you boyfriend, Weasel for me."

Now that was fun. Of course, no actual howling was heard. It was a bet we had, me, Draco and Daniel Rodgers. He's a very impressionable Sixth year with lots of daddy's gold to spend. Draco bet Rodgers 50 galleons that he couldn't bed either one of the Golden Trio before Christmas break. He approached us during the party and said he had Granger in his dorm ready for a shag. I paid up but Draco needed more. And what Draco needed was proof. Ah yes proof. And proof did come, in the form of photos, lovely, moving photos. Draco gave him his winnings and pocketed the photos. Blackmail, he said would be very, very handy and well worth the money. I sat down after getting the books I needed. Digging around in my robes, I found some parchment. Now, if I only had a quill. I took out my knife, never leave the room without it, and set it down on the table. Hmm, transfiguration. Taking out my wand, I tried to recall the spell I would need when I found out I didn't know one. Duh, library! I headed for the Transfiguration section. I found what I was looking for..._Mutobilius._ There was a mini explosion when I tried it out on my knife. Pince made a sort of choking noise, probably itching to reprimand me but a student was asking her something. Okay, let's try again. I looked at the book and found my mistake. The spell only worked on alloys, my knife was made from pure Adamas. I found another spell, hope this works…_Traduci._ Aha! A quill! Now, down to work.

A few hours later, I headed up back to my dorm to deposit my stuff and shout at the two boulder-headed idiots. I found them in the common room, playing nice with a few First years. My stuff was hastily laid on a nearby table. I slowly, casually walked over to them.

"Ahem, gentlemen," I said with a deadly undertone, "If you two would be so kind as to follow me outside?" I was planning to give them a stern talking to, and then hex them. They looked around and saw me. Usually, they only follow Draco, but as Draco's associate, they occasionally follow me. But it seems not today. I couldn't tell if they're disobeying me because they want to or because they don't know what I'm asking them to do. I thought what the hell and decided to hex them right there. Firstly, I put a Full Body Bind on them. I levitated them and stuck them to the ceiling twirling them around for good measure.

"That is for shagging on my bed." I lowered my wand and let them hang for about five seconds then I sent then hurtling down. The whole dungeons shook with the impact.

"And that was for letting me see you on my bed after shagging." Then finally, I put an Itching Charm on them. They would be itching for weeks. Crabbe started to roll around the floor. Oops, I forgot to lift the Full Body Bind, oh well.

"And that's for ignoring me a while ago." With that, I put my wand back into my pocket, got my homework and went to my dorm. I inspected my bed and called a house elf to change my beddings and burn the old ones. Placing the books and parchment down on my disinfected bed, I heard the door open. And who else could it be.

"Draco," I said without turning.

"Blaise," he greeted back, "I see you've been busy in the Library."

"Well, you know, homework doesn't do itself." I was bending down, pretending to fix my things. I really didn't want to look at him at the moment. I could hear footsteps coming and tried to drown it out with the rustling of parchment. I felt his slender hands snake their way around my waist. He hugged me from behind. I stood up and accidentally leaned in further to the embrace. He bent down and started sucking, nibbling, kissing down the side of my neck.

"No more turtlenecks for you," he said into my neck.

"What are you doing?" I asked out of sheer reflexes.

"Making up for lost time."

"Draco, its time for dinner, and I'm really hungry." Which was true. Plus, he was making me shiver again. My knees were going to buckle any second now. He stopped his necking and whispered oh-so-silently into my ear,

"Meet me at that room of yours after midnight."

"You do know I'm seeing someone, right?" I had to push him away.

"You didn't seem to mind at all last night." His silky voice almost made me want to ask him to take me right there and then. I had to resist even if every part of my existence wanted him.

"Last night," I said turning to face him, which was a mistake because he didn't let go of my waist so now I was pressed up against him in a very unnerving fashion. I could smell spices again. Our faces merely inches apart made my breathing hitch for a fraction of a second.

"Was a mistake," I finished lamely after regaining composure.

"See you later." And with that he headed out of the dorm, robe billowing behind him.

I really, really hated him now.

I waited a few minutes before going down for dinner. I did have to arrange my things and pull myself together. I grabbed my school robes and headed toward the Great Hall. As soon as I entered, various aromas wafted in my general direction. God, I was hungry. I sat at the far end of the table, hoping to eat without having to face Draco. He would usually sit somewhere in the middle, with me beside him. Crabbe and Goyle would sit opposite us and Pansy would sit on the other side of Draco. Looking over, I found my seat unoccupied. Bullstrode tried to sit there but got a nasty glare from the Slytherin Prince. He turned his head and saw me glancing at their direction. Turning back to my meal, I filled my plate with everything I could lay my hands on. I could feel his stare burning a hole at the side of my head. Eat Blaise, focus on food.

Then I heard laughing. I looked up and stared at the Gryffindor table. The Golden Trio was chatting animatedly with other students. I saw the mudblood flirting with the Weasel. My, my, the Head Girl is a naughty, naughty one. Mr. Harry Potter was talking to a delectable Irish Gryffindor. Seamus Finnegan, the guy I'm seeing. He looked simply delicious with his sandy brown hair and sexy accent. Just then, two owls swooped down from the ceiling. They circled a bit before diving. One came towards me, it was a school owl. I got the letter tied to its leg, gave it a piece of my roll and let it fly off. The letter was short only saying 'Let the show begin.' I looked up trying to make sense of it, when I saw the mudblood's face drain of color. The other owl was for her, and from what I could tell, it wasn't going to be a nice, quiet dinner.

"Hey, Granger!" Not good. Draco was shouting from his place at the table, with a smirk on his face. "Nice pictures!"

Granger was trying to hide the pictures from the Weasel, but he eventually got hold of them. His mouth dropped and his face was frozen in a look of horror. He looked at Granger and said something. She ran out of the Great Hall, bawling her eyes out. He stuffed the lewd pictures into his robe and, Gryffindor to the end, marched right up to Draco hoping to keep thy maiden's honor. He was being tailed by the great Boy-Who-Lived and one other Gryffindor, my little Irish friend. Shit! The professors were weary, but did nothing. Snape was about to jump up but the Headmaster's stare held him back. The redheaded flaming ball of hatred, known as the Weasel, said something to Draco and went outside. Crabbe and Goyle were about to rise, when Draco gave them a severe look and followed out of the Great Hall. He passed by where I was seated and spared me a quick glance before he left. Damn! He was asking me for backup. Without any further thought, I stuffed a roll into my mouth and followed suit.

When I finally found the room they were in, the Weasel was storming out. That really bugged me. He was the one who wanted a rumble. I walked in to find Draco at one side of a disused classroom with the pair at the other. I went over to Draco's side, sneering at the Gryffindors.

"Was Weasel chickening out?"

That got quite a reaction from Wonder boy.

"For your information, RON went out to find Hermione. I don't even know why you're here Zabini, you weren't invited."

"I need a second don't I?" This was Draco. He was just standing there, all cool, twirling his wand between his fingers.

"A second?" I asked, apparently I haven't mastered thinking quickly under pressure.

"They want to have a Wizard's Duel. It's Potty with Finnegan for his second," he said, stopping his wand tricks and bowing his head down as if contemplating the mysteries of the universe. Then, he looked up and asked,

"Would you be mine?" He was staring at me again. His eyes flickered with a secret meaning, a secret question, a secret wanting. Again, processing was slow, but when I got it, it hit me like ten bludgers in rapid succession. He's making me choose between him and Seamus. It isn't even about Seamus really, if I chose him, it's like me choosing Draco Malfoy above everyone else I might be involved with. It's choosing Draco Malfoy above everything else I hold dear; principles, love, honor…It's choosing Draco Malfoy above Blaise Zabini. That really wasn't fair. But if I let him down…no, I can't even think about not choosing Draco; loyalty was the only choice he was giving me.

"Sure," I said. Draco then pocketed his wand and headed for the door.

"Duel's over Golden Boy, I've already won."

He planned this, he planned everything! I was livid. After Draco's exit Seamus walked up to me after whispering something to Potter. Apparently, Potter knew about me and Seamus and that's why he didn't faint when Seamus took my hands in his and kissed them. He asked me about Draco's behavior and the Mudblood's pictures. I asked him to tell Potter to leave, but Potter refused to. I said something like, Fine then I'll leave, then I did. Seamus would want an explanation, as all Gryffindors do but I wasn't up to telling him about Slytherins' shady dealings; loyalty is a fickle little bugger. I had to get out. I marched right past the Great Hall, where dinner was still being served, and straight into the grounds of Hogwarts. It was still snowing and the cold bit feverishly into my skin, but that didn't matter.

I walked on until I got to the lake. There was a thin layer of ice on top but I knew below it would still be liquid. I took out my wand and melted a circle of ice big enough to fit a person. My robes came off in a careless manner and within seconds I was standing with only my boxers on. I was shaking, but I didn't pay it any attention. I dove right into the freezing lake. Instantly my mind was made blank by the shock to my system. I used to swim in a lake near our manor when I was younger but only in the winter time. The instant numbing sensation makes one focus on the activity at hand. I would do it whenever I felt stressed out. There was only one thought in your head when you swam in ice, and that is to remain alive. I swam deeper and deeper into the abyss. My lungs were begging for warm air and I could feel my limbs getting stiff. Then, I stopped diving. I remained suspended in the infinite dark. I looked up and saw the moonlight through the hole I made. I raced towards it, with one thought in my mind, surviving. I surfaced, got dressed and headed towards the castle. Without bothering for a drying spell, I tracked water and snow into the halls. My hair was plastered to my face with small icicles hanging from each tendril. I am most certain that my lips are blue from the cold and that my hands were shaking. My robes felt heavy and were starting to get wet from the inside. They gave no warmth at all. I heard students exiting the Great Hall, dinner was probably over. The corridors soon filled with people, some staring at the dripping boy in their midst.

"Zabini!" Oh God, it was the Weasel's voice. Before I knew it, I was shoved none-too-gently against a wall and flaming red hair had monopolized my vision. He had a fistful of my robes in his hands and was obstructing any movement from my torso up.

"Seamus says you know something about Hermione's pictures, so spill!" He said the last word with a bang to my head against the stone behind me.

"Why would I know anything about that mudblood of yours, and if I did, do you honestly think I would tell jack to filth like you!" The pain on the back of my skull was blurring my vision. Thank God, my insults are set on autopilot. Weasel punched me square on the jaw. It wasn't enough that I was freezing; I had to be bleeding too. I could hear people gathering around the scene. Whispers and bets made their way to my ears.

"You Slytherin scum!" He was frantic. He then put his forearm across my throat making it quite difficult to breath.

"I know you did something to her! Some sort of spell…TALK!"

Well, needless to say I couldn't, not with his weight on my windpipe. Of course he didn't know he was the one stopping me from giving the answers he needed.

"Mr. Weasley!" The stern figure of Ms. McGonagall swam into view. Weasel let go of me and I doubled over, trying to get my breath back.

"20 points from Gryffindor for fighting with fellow students and detention. Now, Mr. Zabini please go to the hospital wing and everyone else go to your respective dorms."

"This isn't over," Weasel hissed before turning back and heading away.

I touched my tender jaw and tried to assess the damage. It's going to bruise. I felt around and touched something damp. Turns out, I had a cut from where his ring collided with my jaw. I looked at my finger and saw specks of red. I hastily wiped it on my robes and reached for the back of my head. I felt a rather huge lump but no blood. I went to the dungeons and straight to my dorm. There was nobody there so I stripped and dried off. I got warm clothes from my trunk and left my wet clothes on the bed where a house elf would pick them up later.

I went to the bathroom and locked the door. Pulling out my knife I pried open a loose tile on the wall. I reached in and found a vile. It was a small vile with dark blue liquid. I took out the stopper, covered it with my thumb, tipped and righted it in one swift motion. The stopper was put back and I hid the vial back into the wall. Replacing the tile, I sat on the floor. I set my thumb over my tongue and closed my eyes. Instantly, my whole body went rigid. The potion seared through my veins leaving a trail of heat. My vision was bombarded with colors and swirls. I could feel my heart pounding, trying to rid itself of the potion. My toes curled and the hairs on the back of my neck stood. I started convulsing on the floor. My head swam and images flashed before my eyes. Ringing started in my ears and then the familiar cold swept through my body.

Walking through Hogwarts at night can be a challenge. You never know what lies behind shadows. I finally decided to get up and meet with Draco. We were going to talk and put all this craziness behind us. Navigating was a little tough considering I technically didn't know where that room was. I was drunk and sleep-deprived the times I found it. That was why I was late 30 minutes before I saw the familiar hallway. I took a deep breath and headed for the door. It was slightly ajar as I peered inside. The window was closed and the boxes were still a threat to society. Everything seemed as it was when I first came here. Everything, that is, except the couple having sex on the floor. Moonlight illuminated their figures. I saw and flash of silver-blond and that was all it took. Shoving the door open, I stood there while the door hit the wall and the bang disrupted the couple. It was Felis, looking a little horrified. She tried to cover herself up with their robes scattered on the floor.

"Blaise, you are late."

"And you are naked." Which was half true, he was shirtless. Felis looked confused and stopped her frantic search for clothes to wear.

"Felis, love. Thanks for the quickie but it's over."

"What? I-I-I don't understand."

"Run along little kitty." Draco waved a dismissive hand and Felis was flung out of the door with her clothes flying after her.

"Impressive." Which it was, we could all do wandless magic but doing it so carelessly was impressive. Draco stood up and walked towards me. He was getting closer and closer. I put a hand to his chest to stop him. He looked down at the hand and then back to me.

"No, Draco. I came to talk." I pushed him gently aside and closed the door.

We were seated like we were the night before. Draco had a shirt on now and was staring into space. There was silence up to that point. I studied him. He looked like he did when he lost his stuffed unicorn. We were about 9 years old. He loved that old ratty thing even if he had clearly outgrown it. Senior Malfoy ordered him to get rid of it saying that no Malfoy was to be attached to a silly stuffed animal. Draco refused and hid his treasure away. I came to his house one day and found him curled up in his bed. He wasn't crying or complaining, just staring out the window.

'What's wrong Draco?'

'I lost Uni.'

'Oh.' I couldn't comfort him then. I didn't know what to say. Then, I just hugged him. He didn't move, his body was stiff. I never saw his parents hug him before. I don't think he was ever shown affection physically.

'It's going to be alright.' He relaxed into my embrace and before we knew it, we were sleeping together. I was woken up a few hours later. My mom said we had to go home. I saw Draco still sleeping and asked my mom if I could stay with him. My mom had tears in her eyes, I didn't understand. She said something like we had to leave because Draco had to talk with his family about something. I said he lost Uni and I had to stay. She was dragging me away. I wanted to stay, so I shouted and shouted. Draco woke up. He looked at me with sad eyes. Then the looming figure of Lucius came into view. He glared at me and I stopped shouting. He went into Draco's room and shut the door. My mom bent down and told me that we had to go. She said something about private matters and obligations. We left, never knowing what Lucius wanted with Draco. We moved after that and I didn't get to say goodbye.

I didn't see him again until we both entered Hogwarts. Draco was different and distant. It was later that I found out that Lucius was the one who took Uni away. He took Draco away as well. Draco was being groomed to be a Death Eater, to be next in line to the Malfoy throne. Lucius was furious when he saw us sleep in the same bed. He said that Malfoys didn't need anything, anyone. Draco was to be the Malfoy heir. He couldn't be weak or needy. He must learn to be self-reliant and independent. Emotions made people weak. And a Malfoy was never weak. I wasn't brought up that way simply because I wasn't the heir to anything. I had an older brother. He was supposed to be the Zabini heir. He died, serving the Dark Lord. And I was next in line. I guess that was why I never got annoyed with Draco's arrogance or his mean streak. I lived a fairly normal childhood and now I was being introduced to his world. I was never pressured into anything. I've seen both sides.

"What is this really about Draco?"

"What's what about?"

"THIS, the kissing and everything!"

"Please elaborate, Zabini."

"First, that thing with Seamus? Why do you have to drag him into this?"

"I didn't drag anybody, anywhere. He was the one tagging along."

"You know I would have chosen you above anything. There was really no need."

"I knew you would choose me, but I had to let you figure that by yourself."

"You arrogant…"

"Let me finish. I had to let you find out where your loyalties lied. And this isn't about dating anyone. Go screw Snape for all I care! The point is, you shouldn't let personal matters interfere with the bigger picture. I had to let you cut your own ties."

"What bigger picture?"

"The war is coming."

"I know it's coming. It's always coming, it's never here. I'm sick and tired of it"

"With your brother gone, you will have to protect your family."

"I don't understand"

"You will, in time."

"Stop being so damn cryptic! This isn't about the fucking war! This is about you and me."

"Blaise, I had to make sure you were going to side with…"

"Is that it? You want to make sure that where my loyalties were? That's why you kissed me."

"That's totally different."

"Then why!"

"Because, I need you! Okay? You are the only one I can trust. I need you! Is that what you want to hear? I, Draco Malfoy, bleeding need you! I don't want to be alone anymore. You couldn't possibly understand before, but now…Now you and I are in the same boat. I need someone to make sure I don't go overboard. There has to be one person I can depend on to not kill me when my back is turned! One person by my side. And that person has to be you!"

"What do you want from me? I can't save you."

"I don't want you to."

"Then what do you want?"

"I don't know."

"You stop being a prick for one second…"

"Just SHUT UP! Blaise, I just need you to be Blaise. You'll be Blaise and I'll be Draco. Nothing has to change."

"But it already has."

"Just, just be Blaise for me."

"I will always be Blaise, but not for you."

"Then just let me be Draco. I just need Blaise for now. I can't lose you, not now. Not when things are starting to happen. Please."

His eyes mirrored those of a nine year old boy's waking up and finding his friend was going to leave him. It was then that I got it. He wasn't asking for romance or for a quick fuck. He was looking for comfort. I hugged him, like I did 8 years ago. He tensed up again. He clearly wasn't comfortable with sharing his feelings. But he knew he was going to lose me if he didn't let me see a little deeper. I can't give him comfort, but maybe I can give him Blaise.


End file.
